Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-04
RAMBLES ABOUT EUROPE.
From England to Egypt and the Holy
Land Especially for the Eagle
NO. XXXV.

NO. XXXV.
CAIRO, Egypt, Nov. 4, 1887.
To the Editor of the Eagle
This city is located on the east bank of
the Nile, southwark a few miles from
the commencement of the delta. 1t
dates from the 10th century only. What
is known as old Cairo lies to the south
west short drive, and under the name
of Fosdat was founded in the It'll CEN
fury. Bulak, formerly an outlying sub
urb on an island of the Nile, and the
port of entry for Cairo, now forms an
important part of the city, and hlther
our Moslem dragoman, Mr.. 1smail, set
us down at the Egyptian museum. which
contains the most valuable collection of
the antiquities of this century in exist
ence Before awaiting myself the privi-
lege of entering this vast storehouse, con-
tanning relics of period SO remote that
no contemporaneous history, save that
only chiseled on imperishable granite,
gives any account, l directed my foot
steps to the low well that encloses the
premises, and beheld for the first time
! the sacred river of the ancients, which
in majesty and power rolled on its
mighty current in "A swift and boiling
| flood to commingle It's tawny waters
with the deep blue of the Mediterra-
mean.
The distinction of first recognizing in
! the great Arkansas river a similitude to
! the Nile of Egypt. which some. perhaps,
! have thought far-fetched and preten-
| tious. belongs to the editor of the EAGLE,
This poem. The Nile of America" being
! to my mind the finest production of his
! facile pen Some times one obtains d
! glimpse Of a face that startleS him by its
resemblance to one that long years ago
passed from earth or was at the mo-
ment thousands of miles away. Such
was the impression created on my mind
when looked across the Nile to the yell
! low sands on the opposite shore, fringed
with a narrow belt of timber, and al
most shrieked to my wife: Look at the
! Arkansasr The banks are fully as low,
the water the same color, and inst as
swift with that swirling. rotary motion
observable in the Arkansas when the
June rise is on. Even the great Nile
bridge that rests on the numerous piers
was in plain sight to help on the illusion
! Nile of America? | should say So The
resemblance does not cease here, but
SPACE as well as time forbids pursuing
the subject farther.
In the garden of the mosleum is a
! large array of monuments, statues and
sarcophagi and here also is the tomb of
the great Psychologists - Marietta
Bey the discoverer of many
tOmbs and antiquities, and the
founder of this world-renowned mu-
scum. His useful career was cut
short in 1881 The relics to be seen here
are arranged III perfect order, SO that
there is no difficulty experienced in sat
isfving the enquiring mind as to the eX-
act locality IN which they were found.
About everything here displayed has
been taken at some period from the
tombs. which being Theoretically sealed
withStood the ravageS of time for a cycle
commencing before the flood. The Gus
tom of the early Egyptians was to bury
with their dead (and some tribes of
American aborigines had the same Gus
TOM small images of porcelain. bronze,
gold ornaments, and imitation beetles
called scarebic. fowls. small animals
and many of the products of tie soil Were
mumitied, and thus preserved until this
dav. The mummieS Were first placed IN
wooden collins. or in collins sometimes
made of layers of linen glued together
and compressed. At the tomb OF Sax
kara ] found a piece OF the latter larger
/ than my hand and an inch thick plainly
showing the linen threads that were
spun at least three thousand years ago
Some of the statuarv that graces the
court yard of the museum through which
we pass. dates back to the Greek and
Roman occupancy of Egypt before
Christ. but there is one huge figure II
red granite of Usertisen |. that goes
back over four thousand two hundred
wears. There are numerous sphinxes
here containing inscriptions com
memoratlve of kings who lived II
the 10Th century B. c.
The inside of the Museum which con
sists of eight apartments has everything
classified and arranged in such com
pact form as not TO tire one in having K
wonder over vast space. as in the Brit
/ ish museum For the time being w,
/ commune with the relics of a clviliZa
ton greater than we can comprehend
|, that goes back 80 a period when even sa
cred history presents more mystical
page than what has been written witt
: fingers Of steel on these tablets of stone
Besides vast array of statues. statu
cites and monuments, there are a mum
Der of specimens of wood carving. tn,
most remarkable being that of the wi
lage chief. to my mind the most express
i've piece of wood statuarv | have eve
seen Think of specimen ike tim
carved more than three thousand year
ago out OF a cypress log. with every feat
ure Is skillfully cut ia wood. - the mod
ern artist would create Z model in clay
Here are wigs that We're worn by a.
Egyptian queen 110e years 3. {. In tn
three thousand years that have foitewe'
the sex has never been able 70 50 regu
late fashion AZ to make a hala-heade'
woman attractive. But passing the iIill
titude of cabinets. show cases. pedestal
i and shelves loaded with antiquities. "
enter a room that contains probably th